One In Ten Ector County Residents Living With Diabetes

One In Ten Ector County Residents Living With Diabetes

Odessa, TX (Local Big 2 News) - A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that one in four Americans is living with diabetes and doesn't know it.

Odessa, TX (Local Big 2 News) - A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that one in four Americans is living with diabetes and doesn't know it.

According to Diana Ruiz with Medical Center Health System, what's even more alarming is the number of people in Ector County that are diagnosed with the disease.

"When you look at our county rankings here in Ector County, in appears that about one in 10 of us have diabetes that's diagnosed," Ruiz said.

Ruiz tells me that 70-percent of Ector County residents are overweight and that one in three report complete physical inactivity.

Ruiz says it's a problem that can greatly affect not just your health, but your lifestyle.

"Missed work days, missed school days, you know, low productivity in our residence and so these stats are alarming," Ruiz said.

Symptoms of diabetes include always being thirsty, wounds not healing as fast, frequent urination and losing weight without intending to.

"So, it's really important that you start those dietitiary lifestyle modifications. Things like participating in physical activity, even if it's just three times a day, light to moderate exercise," Ruiz said.

Both Medical Center Hospital and Casa de Amigos, a local non-profit, offer free diabetes screenings.

"It's a walk-in, walk-out type of thing so, it's very easy and very convenient for everybody," said Silvia Lemos, health and wellness director for Casa de Amigos.

Including those who are already diagnosed.

"Those that are already diabetic can also come and be monitored just to make sure they stay at a certain level," Lemos said.

According to Ruiz, diabetes can potentially lead to complications such as blindness, renal failure and heart disease.

"Once you've been diagnosed, we absolutely wanna help prevent those from happening," said Ruiz.